All's Unfair in Love and War
by Nightshift Daybreak
Summary: Fred Jones feels pressured by parents, friends, school, and supposed girlfriend. He seems to accept that he'll feel that way for life. Until he meets laid back Shaggy Rogers aka the hippy-kid . Bad Summary. Previously named "FJxSR Temporary" Warning there is a large amount of Daphne-hate in here.
1. Chapter 1

This is a fic I made after seeing a challenge on The Gray Law database for rare slash. Warning: Slash between beloved male childhood characters and high school. AU, I guess. I'm using a temporary title till I can think of a more appropriate one. Read it and tell me what u think the title should be. Enjoy! ~NsDb

* * *

"Jooones, waz up?"

"Hey Fred!"

"See you at the big game Friday, Freddy."

Numerous voices greeted him, searching for his attention as he strode the halls of Coolsville High. He acknowledged them as they came, never failing to keep a light smile on his handsome face whether he came into contact with jocks or giggling girls.

He walked an even, slow pace to his next class, not speeding up for the shrill pitch of the school bell signaling his tardiness.

It was only then he allowed the smile to drop from his face.

School held nothing for him. His grades were decent enough, he was a star athlete, teachers loved him, and there were alleged rumors about his relationship with one Daphne Blake.

Daphne was a rich, cute redhead that had had her green eyes on him for awhile. As one of the most popular girls in school, it was expected for her to date a popular boy and vice versa. In wake of that, she never missed a chance to occupy a space on his arm. In fact, Freddy wouldn't be surprised if she actually considered that arm and whatever was attached to it, her property. _Ughh._

One would think Freddy Jones was the luckiest teenager in all of Coolsville. And they would be wrong.

"You're _late_, Mr. Jones." A stern voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked up into the mild glare of his teacher. His feet had taken him to his intended destination, but he wished they had taken him anywhere but there. He was only three minutes late, _jeez_.

"Sorry, Mrs. Lewis. It won't happen again." He made his apology short, and sincere, or at least he made it sound that way. All part of the Jones charm tactic.

From his position at the front of the room, he could see all eyes watching his conversation with the teacher, especially Daphne's. He could _feel_ her eyes locked on him, probably upset that he wasn't sitting next to her.

_Shame,_ he thought sarcastically. If there was one good thing about being late, it was that.

"See that it doesn't. The only seat left is in the back, next to our new stud- _WAKE UP MR. ROGERS! _Ahem, our new student, raise your hand, Mr. Rogers. Seating choice is a privilege given to students who are _on time_, Mr. Jones."

As he walked to the back of the classroom, he could see Daphne's eyes narrow at him, emphasizing both the teacher's point and her own personal disappointment.

Taking his seat, he faced the new student with the same smile he gave everyone. The new student countered with a sleepy grin.

"Hey."

"Like, hi."

Fred felt unusually more comfortable in class now than he had when he'd first walked in and faced forward to listen to the teacher's lecture on European history.

"Louis XIV of France employed what we call the divine right of –_WAKE UP MR. ROGERS!_"

As the bell rang for lunch, Fred found himself avoiding the lunch room and heading outside the school walls. He needed a break from his "friends" and "girlfriend" once in a while. Surely Daphne wouldn't have a seizure if denied the barest fraction of his attention for one day. There was a fifty-fifty chance.

He sat under the shade of a large tree with browned leaves spread out around him, felled by the autumn winds. He preferred a packed lunch rather than the stuff they served in the cafeteria. There was nothing wrong with brown baggin' it.

Before he'd managed to bite into his lunch, however, a small, hard _something_ hit the top of his head. Fred looked up startled to see if the sky was falling. His eyes settled on the slim figure of the mystery figure he'd come to know as Mr. Rogers, asleep in the tree.

He wasn't too far up. Just low enough for Fred to nudge his leg with a hand, snapping him from slumber and right out of the tree.

Fred had acted instinctively, not really thinking about what or how. Seconds later, he'd found himself with both arms full of one Mr. Rogers. He let him down gently.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, like, thanks man."

"No problem …"

"Shaggy Rogers."

"Fred Jones."

"Nice to meet you."

"Like, likewise."

Fred reclaimed his seat under the tree and resumed eating his lunch as Shaggy sank down next to him. He sat Indian style and looked not to have a care in the world. It was Fred who broke the silence.

"So, uh, what's your favorite color?" _Dumb question._

Shaggy didn't flinch or even hesitate. "Dunno, maybe all of them."

Freddy walked Daphne home with the tiniest hint of a genuine smile on his face. As per usual she took up residence on his arm the second the school bell rang. She talked endlessly, making what she considered to be "pleasant conversation". Though he couldn't bring himself to pay attention to a word she'd said, he nodded occasionally to feign interest.

He and Shaggy had talked till the school bell rang, not even noticing the time go by. There was an easiness to Shaggy that amazed Fred. He'd never felt so comfortable in another's presence. They'd talk about the simplest things, learning more about each other with each passing minute.

His thoughts put him in a giddy mood. There were absolutely no expectations or obligations when he was with Shaggy, and that drew Fred to him even more.

"Shaggy!" Shaggy Rogers was knocked over as the Great Dane raced and jumped at him, clearly excited by his appearance.

"Like, hey, Scoob." He gave a hug to his best friend since birth.

"How was school?"

"I think I like, made a friend." Shaggy hadn't given much thought to it before, but he now considered that he may have just made a friend in Freddy Jones.

"Who?"

"How 'bout I like, tell you over a triple-decker sandwich, buddy?" Shaggy asked, already walking towards the mansion's spacious kitchen with Scooby Doo on his heels.

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Read and Review everyone. Hope u enjoyed it! No FLAMES! ~NsDb


	2. Chapter 2

I'm back! I went on vacation for a week. This is chapter two of my first prompt- inspired story and I have to admit I feel pretty good about it. I had fun writing this chapter. Thanks for every comment. They make me so happy everytime I see them. They always cheer me up, it's like having my own cheer squad in written form.

**RANT!:** I saw a forum that was bashing Yaoi and slash. A lot of people were making the excuse that they didn't like slash beacuse it wasn't canon. First of all, this is _fan_fiction, we are _fans_, so create your stories to your _fan_tasy. As it were "unleash ur imagination"! Weak arguement!

Warnings:OOC(I think?), Slash. I think you would know if I owned Scooby Doo, there'd be a whole lot of yaoi.

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"Touchdown! Freddy Jones has done it again! The Coolsville Polar Bears beat the Awesometown Toucans 37-31!"

The announcer's voice was nearly drowned out by the roar of the crowd on the home team's side of the stadium. The losing team walked off the stadium with heads down, cleats kicking angrily at the grass beneath their feet, shivering in the November air. Practice was going to be extra hard for at least a month; their coach didn't cope well with losses.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Freddy Jones was being flocked by his teammates; cheering voices flew in all directions. The world spun as cold Gatorade was dumped on him, and he was carried off the field on the shoulders of his teammates.

"So Fred, you coming to the party tomorrow night?" John McKenley's voice cut through the haze of loud conversation in the locker room.

"Nah, sorry man," Freddy said without looking up. "I got stuff to do."

"Stuff! Dude, this party is practically being held in _your_ honor!" He exclaimed, "And besides, there'll be girls. And drinking. And _girls_!"

"Well, you'll have all the pretty girls to yourself Friday night, now won't cha?" Freddy shut his gym locker and took up his school bag.

"Ha, very funny," John said sarcastically. "You know Roxanne won't let me think about _thinking_ about another girl without laying into me."

"Sucks to be you then." Freddy said, before finally leaving the musky locker room.

"Whatever."

It was dark outside when Freddy walked the few blocks leading to his house. The days were getting colder, sun setting earlier, the leaves browned, and fell from the trees.

That weekend found him dividing his time between chores, eating, sleeping, and hanging out with Shaggy. In the short time he'd known Shaggy, he found he could trust him with anything. It wasn't in Shaggy's nature to tell secrets or gossip, not that he had any friends at school to spill anything too.

It was a sad fact that Shaggy didn't have any friends at school, not that it bothered him. Teachers all but ignored him, not wanting to waste their breath by yelling at him for his routine nap in class. Shaggy actually got surprisingly good grades for all of the sleeping he did in class.

They'd do homework, or talk, or even play fetch with Shaggy's dog Scooby. Scooby was a big brown dog with a huge appetite, and for some reason he could talk. He'd taken a liking to Freddy almost instantly, if only for the increase in belly scratches his friendship provided him.

As Jones-Rogers friendship progressed, Fred found himself spending less and less time hanging out with the "in" crowd, and more time in Shaggy's company. His football buddies and even Daphne seemed to be taking his absence in stride. If they were irked by it at all, Fred hadn't been given any indication.

In the beginning of November, Fred had known Shaggy Rogers (and Scooby, you can't know one without the other,) for a month and a half, and life had never been so bright. The sun seemed brighter, the grass greener, and that suffocating feeling he used to have was all but gone.

He should have known it was too good to last.

It was one November afternoon just as the lunch bell rang. Freddy turned in the direction of the large oak tree where he usually met Shaggy for lunch. He was so close, he'd had his hard on the door ready to push it open and step into freedom.

"Freddy!" Fred cringed at the sound of a familiar high, shrill voice that sounded _way_ too happy to see him.

"Uh, hi, Daphne." She attached herself to his arm and started dragging him in the opposite direction of freedom.

"Oh, Freddy, I missed you so much! I haven't seen you in a whole _three_ days." she squealed. "I can't wait to go on a date, it's been _soooo_ long. Let's go eat lunch with all our friends, kay?"

Fred tried to tug his arm out of her grip which tightened with each tug, he eventually gave up. "Actually, Daph," he started. "I was going to eat lunch with Shaggy today? So maybe next time."

"Who?" she asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

"You know, the guy that sits next to me in history class."

Daphne's eyes widened in recognition then narrowed. He pouting expression was replaced with a sneer of annoyance and disgust. "Oh, _him_." She spat, as if even the thought of Shaggy enraged her. But then again, it probably did.

"Uh, yeah."

As soon as the expression came, it went, once again a pout, trying to guilt him into her web. "It's only one day, Freddy. Just. One. Day."

She smiled widely as he nodded, and Fred didn't have the time to take it back.

Fred soon found himself in the cafeteria, surrounded by too-loud voices, slightly familiar faces, and unappetizing smells.

He was seated right next to Daphne, squished into the space that was the dividing line separating the boys and girls side of the table. He hadn't really involved himself deeply in any one conversation. Nodding when the other guys spoke in affirmation of something, not really knowing the topic.

For the first time suddenly, a voice addressed him directly.

"So Jones, I haven't seen you around lately." The voice of Red Herring cut in loudly, the question echoing across the table, silencing all other conversation, and drawing the attention of the other teenagers. They knew the statement held some truth to it.

"Yeah Freddy, where ya been?"

"I haven't seen you in ages."

"You're never around anymore." A few voices piped up in agreement.

Leave it to Red Herring to make him miserable. Red Herring was stocky, freckled redhead who stood half a head taller than Fred. He was the resident bully at Coolsville High, and lucky for Fred, Red had had it out for him since kindergarten.

To anyone else, it may have seemed like an innocent inquiry from a concerned classmate, but Fred knew better. It was nothing more than Red Herring trying to put him on the spot and get under his skin. And it worked.

"Ya know Jones, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you and that hippy-kid Rogers were faerie-pansies together." He continued after the crowd had quieted, a slimy smirk on his heavily freckled face. No one even breathed; they hung onto Red's every word, giving each accusation their undivided attention.

"So how 'bout it Jones, is hippy-kid your boyfriend or what?"

Freddy was standing by now, every muscle in his body tensed and ready to drive his fist into Red Herring's face until it was the color of his hair. But he forced his fists to unclench. He did not want to get into trouble in school for beating the tar out of Red Herring, no matter how much he deserved it.

The best thing to do right now was to walk away. Walk away before he changed his mind and rearranged Red's face. With a deep, hissing breath, he forced his feet to carry him away from Red Herring, his insults, and his accusations.

"That's right Jones, walk away. Bet hippy-kid is waiting on ya. Give him a nice big kiss for me!" Red Herring shouted to his retreating back, laughing hoarsely at his joke.

"Freddy!" Daphne had risen from her seat and wrapped both her arms around his to prevent his leave. "You promised to spend time with me! Where are you going?" she whined, pleading with large violet eyes.

But Fred had had enough. He wrenched his arm from her grasp, causing her to gap in surprise, eyes widened and startled.

"I'm going to see my _boyfriend_!" he spat at her and continued his angry retreat. He left her and the "in crowd" table open mouthed and frozen in place.

From there, Freddy went to his next classroom and laid his head on his assigned desk, taking deep breaths.

There was still fifteen minutes left in the lunch period. He hadn't eaten. And he didn't feel like it.

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Sorry, no Shaggy in this chapter. Just a whole lot of Fred. Sorry to all Daphne fans. Comments are welcome, flames are not. if anyone has an idea for the title of this story, I wanna hear it, no matter what it is. It's a whole lot better than the title I got going now.

"Goodnight, Wisconsin!" ~NsDb


	3. Chapter 3

Hello! This is going to be more of a mini chapter. Sorry it's so short but I'm working on the next one right away. Lots of love to my readers ~NsDb

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Shaggy sighed as he opened his locker. Someone had broken his locker open and put peanut butter on his belongings, again. Grabbing a peanut butter covered notebook, he closed his locker and walked to his next class.

Dipping a finger in the peanut butter mess in his binder and licking it, he thought. This had been happening for a week now. Whenever he came to school, he found his locker and its contents covered in some kind of sticky substance.

Yesterday it was maple syrup, and the day before that it had been chocolate syrup (best day ever). Shaggy didn't know whether to be annoyed that whoever it was was ruining his books, or flattered that someone had been leaving him free food.

Well, Shaggy thought as he took another lick of his peanut butter covered finger, whether or not this was an attempt at an attack, it wasn't half bad.

**NSDBNSDBNSBD**

"Well, d'ya do it?" came the voice of Red Herring.

"Yeah, we did, Red. Just like every day this week."

"Heh, heh." Snickered Red, "That loser has no idea what hit him."

He sneered in the dim light of the empty boy's sports locker room. The week after Jones' rather loud confession had been nothing but fun for him. Jones had no girlfriend; the hippy-kid was getting pranked everyday, and Jones' friends had turned against him. Two of which, were assisting Red at the present moment.

"Hey, Red."

"Yeah, what is it?" Red glared down at Lackey 1 for interrupting his thoughts.

"W-well, I just don't think these pranks are going anywhere." He raised his arms to protect himself as Red's expression shifted from angry to murderous. "I t-think that the hippy-kid is sort of enjoying the pranks."

"That's because he is."

All three boys whirled around to face the direction of the intruding voice. One Daphne Blake came sauntering in, looking even more beautiful than norm in the dim lighting.

"Hey! This is the boys-" Daphne cut him off with a wave of her perfectly manicured hand.

"Never mind that." She snapped. "I have a proposal for you."

"I don't need no help from a girl."

"I'm not here to _help_ you."Daphne said calmly, appearing disinterested and surveying her fingernails. "I'm taking over. Everyone I see here before me have just become my personal slaves."

"WHAT?" Red roared. Lackey1 and Lackey2 flinched from behind him shielding themselves from his anger. "I don't t'ink so, princess. Red Herring don't take orders from no one."

Daphne looked up from her nails at this point. "You _will _do as I say, Red. Or else." She said glaring lightly.

"Or else what? What are _you_ going to do?"

"Or else I break every bone in your body." She said with a chilling smile on her face. She took a step closer.

"Or else I rip out your intestines and use them to hang you." Another step closer.

"Or else I castrate you in your sleep." She was in Red's face now. He gulped and resisted the urge to take a step back. The two lackeys behind him had no such qualms, putting as much space between them and the she-devil as possible and holding their hands over their private areas protectively.

"So boys, let's get my boyfriend back, shall we gentlemen?" All three boys nodded nervously, hanging on to her every word.

**NSBDNSBDNSBD **

"So then this morning I found like, peanut butter in my locker."

Fred listened to Shaggy's words with rapt attention. From what he understood, this had been the fourth time that week and Fred felt a guilty pang somewhere in his heart. He still hadn't told Shaggy a thing about his unnecessarily loud public statement. He knew the pranking against Shaggy was all because he had yelled out that Shaggy was his boyfriend.

He was absolutely certain that the person behind these pranks was none other than Red Herring. Sure, he had accused Red of devious things in the past(and who could blame him?) but this time Freddy was absolutely and completely sure.

"Hey Fred, are you like okay?"

"Wha- yeah I'm fine."

Shaggy didn't have any friends at school. Most people were put off or offended by his unaffected demeanor. He wasn't a part of any clubs, he didn't join any sports, and he didn't really care. And Freddy didn't care either. He felt like he'd stumbled onto a gold mine and he didn't feel like sharing his treasure with anyone.

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So that was my mini-chapter. Hoped you liked it. Definitely another one coming? How's school going for everyone so far? My teachers are so SLOW! ~NsDb Reviews please.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, so a reviewer woke me up to how long its been since I updated. Almost a month! Sorry about that. This is the fourth chapter. All usual warning in place. Hope you enjoy it! ~NsDb

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Shaggy opened his locker eagerly minutes before the next bell, fully expecting yet another deliciously sticky substance to have mysteriously coated his books in his absence. But there was none. Miraculously, everything was exactly the way he had left it. No peanut butter, syrup, chocolate sauce, or liquid cheese of any kind. _'I knew it was too good to last.'_

With a heavy sigh, Shaggy closed his locker and jumped in surprise to find a very pretty red haired girl in a purple dress standing directly in his view. But for what length of time she'd been there, he was not sure.

"Hi, I'm Daphne," she said with a large smile in a voice that seemed higher than it really was. "You're in my math class, right? Could you tell me what homework was for last night? I forgot to copy it."

"Uh, sure." Shaggy visibly relaxed after 'Daphne' had explained herself. It was nice to know it was only a classmate and not a creepy stalker who watched people in front of their lockers. "It was the worksheet on binomial distribution."

Daphne allowed her eyes to widen slightly in fake recognition. She knew Fred was coming down this hallway in a few seconds. As his girlfriend she knew everything about him, including all his classes and how he got to them. He would be turning the corner in precisely 3.412 seconds and she was going to make hippy-kid look like a fool.

Shaggy had fallen for her ploy easily. He'd bought the innocent question and her pretty face. If there was one thing Daphne was good at, it was pretending to be something she wasn't.

"Oh, that's right. Thanks so much I really owe you one…"

"You can just call me Shaggy."

"Shaggy then."

Shaggy nodded in conformation and then moved to pass her to his next class. When his gaze left her, Daphne let the wicked smirk she had been repressing show on her face and delicately slid the right foot of her size 7 pink pumps into Shaggy's path.

'_Let the pieces fall where they may.'_

A look of horror flashed across her face as Shaggy fell and tumbled, right into the arms of Freddy Jones who held him there for a moment too long for Daphne's comfort. As Shaggy thanked Fred, Daphne stormed off, heels clicking rhythmically.

As she crossed through the halls to her next class, students separated to make way for her, not wanting to have her murderous expression directed their way.

'_Calm down, Blake.'_ She told herself. _'This isn't over. Not by a long shot.'_

With that thought, Daphne straightened her dress and pulled out her compact to check her hair and makeup before walking into Chemistry class. She had an appearance to keep up after all.

**MNMSMNMS**

"Freddy, hey Freddy."

Fred sped up his walking pace almost to the point of running to avoid the leech. But she was fast in those pumps and in no time, he was in her pink nail-polished grasp. She yanked on his arm to stop his retreat.

"Why are you walking so fast? Class doesn't start for another ten minutes." She asked, innocently curious.

"Uh, hey Daphne," he said, trying to play it off. "I didn't see you there."

"You looked like you were in a hurry."

"Uh yeah. I was just going…" he trailed off as he fished for an accurate answer.

"To meet your _boyfriend_?"The word spilled from her mouth like acid, lips curling in clear distaste for a moment before returning to a full pout.

"Uh… actually I was gonna say; to the bathroom. Ya know, for boys?" Fred articulated nervously as he began prying her claws from his arm, feeling slightly claustrophobic for the first time in his life.

"Oh."

"Yeah, well, I'll see you later."

"How about we do lunch, Freddy?" she said using a husky tone, narrowing her green eyes. One could clearly hear flirty satisfaction in her voice. Fred _always_ met Shaggy for lunch at their usual spot.

_Uh, no._ "I'll think about it, Daphne." He replied quickly and skillfully avoided any more direct questioning by racing through the halls to take sanctuary in his Home Ec classroom.

**MNMSMNMS-**

"Like, how's your day going?" Shaggy had finished his impressively sized lunch in seconds. Fred was never sure where the massive amounts of food Shaggy consumed daily went, because it never showed on his slim figure. He chewed slowly, going through the day's events in his head, looking for something of interest.

He swallowed, eyes turning to focus on something much more appealing than his meager sandwich. He wondered how he'd never noticed how incredible Shaggy looked by the light of the afternoon sun. Or how his brown eyes sparkled when the light hit them just the right way. Or how…

"Fred."

"Huh." Fred snapped in confusion as he was drawn from his thoughts. Thoughts that had been leading him in a very dangerous direction.

"You're kind of ignoring me."

"Oh, sorry. I burnt the biscuits in home ec today, so I'm in danger of failing for the quarter."

"Wow, man. Sucks to be you."

Freddy groaned and rolled his eyes. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Like, want help?"

"You cook, Shaggy?" Fred was decidedly skeptical; the only true act of culinary genius he'd ever seen Shaggy display was conjuring a large sandwich in seconds.

"Like, sure I do. Come over after school, and I'll give you my special brand of cooking lessons." Fred nodded, whether or not Shaggy was a master chef, a squirrel probably had more culinary knowledge than Fred. What the heck, he'd give it a shot.

He checked his watch as he threw his sandwich wrapper in the rusting trashcan stationed a few feet from their large oak tree. It was almost time for the bell to ring for the next class. Which meant it was almost time for gym.

Crap.

It wasn't like Freddy minded running laps or playing whatever ridiculous game the gym teachers thought up. It was Red Herring. They shared a gym period and it was the perfect opportunity for Red to injure him in some way. Whether it they were playing football or badminton, Fred was sure to have at least one bump or bruise by the end of the gym period.

"It's time to go, Shaggy."

"Can't I, like, just skip?" Shaggy hated gym class. He hated changing in the musty locker room that smelled of underwear and sweaty jocks who didn't bother with deodorant. And he hated Coach Neils, the overzealous, square-headed, former drill sergeant turned phys ed teacher who disliked Shaggy Rogers just as much as Shaggy Rogers disliked Coach Neils.

"No." Fred said simply and gave Shaggy a hand up. They walked towards the certain doom that was gym class together, dragging their feet all the way.

**MNMSMNMS—**

"Listen up people. Today you lazy ragamuffins get the honor of playing dodge ball." Coach Neils unnecessarily loud voice echoed sharply off the gym walls. "Personally, I would prefer to put you ingrates through a series of character-building military exercises. HowEVER, the school refused my request to do so."

A pause allowed the collective relief of the present student body to resonate. They dared not to speak while the coach was talking; one unlucky student had found that out a few months ago. He was never heard from again. Rumor had it that the coach had a mysterious porcelain container on his desk that was engraved with the words: Ashes of Problem Student.

"The rules are simple. Two teams. Pick up a ball and throw it. You get hit, you're out. I want to see EFFORT, people. If I see any of you get hot on PUPOSE, its detention. No hitting above the neck. Got that? Good. Split up!" With a shrill blow of his whistle the teenagers were divided. "PLAY!" Another whistle and the balls flew.

Freddy and Shaggy kept to the back towards the wall, taking whatever balls happened to roll in their path and threw them lightly over to the other side, not caring who it hit but trying to avoid pain themselves.

Daphne was relatively safe where she stood on the gym floor. They guys wouldn't hit a lady and _no one_ would hit Daphne Blake. She watched the madness of the game unfold from a passerby's perspective. A shiny red rubber ball rolled towards Daphne's foot. She picked it up in one delicate hand and considered throwing it.

Normally, she would never think about something like throwing a ball, or participating in gym. That led to _sweating_. Ew. But as she glanced over at the other side of the gym, she saw Shaggy and Freddy standing together, just enjoying each other's company. She squeezed the ball in her hand, teeth clenching as her anger surfaced.

Raising her arm, she let the ball fly.

They hadn't encountered any problems throughout the game, and Fred managed to keep himself out of Red Herring direct field of vision. It had happened so fast, but Fred felt as if he were watching it in slow motion. Out of nowhere, a ball came hurdling towards them. Towards Shaggy. And Fred could do nothing but watch as Shaggy took a face-full of dodge ball.

A shrill whistle sounded and the game was stopped. "Who threw that ball?" Coach Neils questioned loudly. No one spoke up. Coach Neils sighed. "Jones, take Rogers to the nurse. As for the rest of you,…" WHISTLE! "PLAY BALL!"

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If you liked it and you know it, pls review. CLAP CLAP CLAP If you liked it and you know it pls review. CLAP CLAP CLAP. If you liked it and you know it and you really wanna show it. If you liked it and you know it pls review! Yay! Seriously though. ~NsDb


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, I just want to say I'm extremely sorry about how long this took. I've been kinda busy with school (but my grades improved!) amd clubs. Since we have begun reading Frankenstein in class(great book!) I have been inspired by Mary Shelley to put more detail into my writing, so my style may be different. Tell me what you think. **_~NsDb_**

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**All's Unfair in Love and War Chapter 5**

Fred kept one protective hand on Shaggy's shoulder as he guided him through the long and tiled halls, becoming his shield against the multitude of stares that came their way and the plethora of fledgling rumors ready to mature in mere moments. God, he wished they would stop staring, if only for Shaggy's sake, he wished they'd stop staring.

For Shaggy, every hallway was a mile long. Pain had made time slow, and the distance grew exponentially with each passing second. It had been no small relief when they finally got there, though he didn't know how much the nurses could do. He'd seen people come into the nurse's office with a stomachache and receive ice packs for all their trouble.

Fred took his guiding hand off of Shaggy for a moment to open the door, letting his injured friend enter first. Behind the small desk sat the nurse's assistant whose face remained unseen by most students at the high school. She kept her face forever hidden by either a magazine or a large bubble of gum. "Whada ya want?" she drawled, not even bothering with civility; every other word was accompanied with the sound of chewing or the popping of her bubble gum.

Though he hadn't interacted with the nurse's assistant very often, Fred instantly decided he didn't like her. His friend was bleeding heavily through his nose and the ditz behind the desk couldn't bother herself to part with her Glamour magazine and do her job. Before Fred could answer with what was sure to have been a few choice words no student should ever consider saying to a faculty member, a tall slim woman in a standard white nurse's uniform appeared in the adjacent doorway.

"Don't mind her, chickadees. Why don't ya'll step into the back and I'll see what I can do 'bout chur nose?" she drawled in a friendly southern accent, unfamiliar in comparison to the dialect spoken farther north of her home state. She was the very picture of southern hospitality and had a large smile on her face, bright enough to beam on through the collective angst of sick and whining teenagers that visited her daily.

She led them into the back room. Its walls were clearly due for a paint-job and any cracks had been concealed by the many medical and inspirational posters that hung dirty and curling to wall via duct tape. She patted a spot on the paper covered and padded table, signaling Shaggy to sit there while Fred took up residence in the plastic chair besides him. Leaning over Shaggy, Nurse Butterfield (as her name tag read) touched his nose in several places, smile lost in her look of intense concentration. She straightened herself and turned to rummage through the cabinet of supplies to her right. Pulling out what she'd been looking for she turned to address them once more.

"Well, suga'. You're gonna be just fine. The bleeding should stop within the hour; keep an ice pack to it 'kay. You're gonna have a nasty bruise there for a few days, but you'll live." Her smile had returned, having yet another successful case solved by the school nurse. She handed them an ice pack and a piece of paper with words scribbled on it that Fred could not read. "Why don't ya'll just take the rest of the day off an' go home? I wrote you a pass. Happy Thanksgiving!"

Thanksgiving, huh? Fred had honestly forgotten in the hustle and bustle of teenage life, that today was the day before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving break. Everyone got a four day weekend. They thanked the nurse wishing her a Happy Thanksgiving and went to their lockers, before leaving the building and starting the walk home.

"Shaggy?"

"What are you doing for Thanksgiving?"

Shaggy's eyes saddened minutely at that question before returning to their previous expression, making Freddy fear what the answer might be. "I'll probably like, cook a feast for Scooby and me."

"What about your parents?" Fred asked tentatively, not sure if he was wandering into unsafe territory.

"My parents, like, usually spend this time of year on business trips and parties. This time they're spending Thanksgiving in Austria and Christmas in France." Fred felt terribly now. He knew what it was like to have wealthy parents who weren't always around, but at least his parents made a point to be home when it mattered; like Thanksgiving or Christmas.

"Oh." It was an entirely too stupid thing to say, but Shaggy looked content to let the matter drop. For the rest of the trip, the only sounds emitted from either of them were the crunching of the dried autumn leaves beneath their feet.

Finally they came to Shaggy's front door and said their goodbyes to each other. Normally Freddy would have invited himself in, or at least stay to greet Scooby. But this time was different, the residue of awkwardness left in the trail of their past conversation kept Fred from entering. Something told Fred Shaggy may have needed to be alone for now.

The next day was Thanksgiving and Fred watched the butlers, maids, and cooks bustle about from the top of the first set of stairs, trying to prepare the house and meal for Thanksgiving dinner. Most had families to go home to, but chose to stay till the afternoon because they were paid extra during the holidays.

His parents were hosting Thanksgiving at their house this year, in rotation with their other notably wealthy friends. They made it out to be more a competition than a friendly get-together: who had the biggest house, who had put up the most decorations, who had the most gourmet food, whose children had won the most awards; it was all very tiring and unnecessary in Fred's opinion.

Later that day, the house was filled with guests dressed in their best evening wear, drifting and socializing with other guests, but only about how well their businesses were doing or how much many they had made. Fred's father had pulled him into his mingling, introducing him to all kinds of fat cats, determined to make a name for his son in the world of business and politics.

It was hard to focus on keeping up appearances for his parents when all he could think about was Shaggy and his nearly empty house. Thanksgiving was supposed to be a symbol of togetherness and family. Now more than ever before, Fred felt as if he didn't belong.

But even worse than that was that the Blakes had been invited as well. Coolsville was filled to the brim with wealthy benefactors and their children, and his parents had somehow managed to invite all of them. Including, Fred thought agitatedly, Daphne Blake.

"Fred, you remember Robert Dale, don't you?" Mr. Jones shook hands with Mr. Dale a large, bearded man who owned a rather successful chain of pharmacies and a hospital or two.

"Of course I do. It's so good to see you again, Mr. Dale." Fred smiled cordially, and shook hands with the Santa Claus-wannabe. "And you as well, my boy. What have you been up to Frederick? Scoring a few hundred touchdowns, have you?" he chuckled good-naturedly and took a small sip of his chardonnay. Before he or his father could answer, Daphne, who had been listening in from somewhere nearby, cut in quickly.

"Actually, he's made good friends with the new kid at school. Norville Rodgers, was it Fred?" she asked with a smug smile that could barely pass for charming. Fred stiffened; he'd never told his parents about Shaggy and had never planned for them to ever find out. He was suddenly afraid, what else would Daphne tell them if given the chance?

"Fred you didn't tell me you'd made a friend. Who is he?" Mr. Jones asked curiously with a small frown on his face. "Ah, I know the Rodgers." Mr. Dale piped in. "They've investments in several very fortunate stocks. A fine bunch indeed. But that son of theirs is a laze-about if I've ever saw one. I believe they're on international business this time of year."

"Oh." That single syllable was enough to make time stop in friends mind. He'd gone through very painful measures to insure that his son made friends with those sure to be successful in life. And here it was that somehow he had overlooked one person who had managed to worm his way into his son's exclusive circle of friends and a laze-about no less.

Fred was sure he looked every bit the deer on the business end of a gun that he felt like in that solitary moment. The solid weight of his father's gaze pressed upon him in such a way that it made his very being seem airy and transparent. Fred fumbled for the right words to say, an explanation of some sort, but before he could dig himself even deeper into trouble, sanctuary came in the form of his mother.

"Richard, I'd like to borrow Freddy for a moment." A feminine voice cut through the tension in the air with forceful elegance. Grabbing Freddy's arm she all but wrenched him from the unsettling conversation and led him across the room, leaving in her wake three confused and slightly angry people.

They had stopped near a table piled with food of all kinds. The smell of various pies and turkey filled Fred's nose. Mrs. Jones surveyed the table quickly with a keen eye, before snatching up a whole apple pie with a smile that reached her ears. She shoved the pie into Fred's hands and gave him a small push towards the front door.

"Go have fun dear." She said softly, understanding flooding her voice. Freddy's eyes widened with disbelief, before they filled with gratitude. He give his mother a swift kiss on the cheek and all but ran through the door.

"Teresa?"Mr. Jones didn't look happy; his whole body language demanded an explanation.

"Richard." She accented with a pointed look. Warning him not to question her methods or follow their son with her tone of voice, she then shuffled back to the party to chat with some of her friends, leaving both Richard Jones and Daphne Blake standing, unmoving and dumbfounded.

Freddy walked quickly through the chilly streets, he had forgotten his jacket in the rush to escape an awkward situation, but wasn't quite cold or insane enough to go back for it. He rushed down the few blocks that separated Shaggy's house from his and seeing that the lights were on in the house, rapped sharply on the white wooden door.

The door opened after a few moments the pine wreath that adorned it bobbed with the movement, and there stood Shaggy. Dressed in a forest green sweater and black slacks, an aberration from his usual attire, but he looked stunning in the backdrop of the light coming from his house, and to Fred, it looked as if all the light was coming from Shaggy himself.

"Freddy?" Shaggy's surprised question jolted Fred from whatever spell had overtaken him in the previous moment, he shivered under both Shaggy's scrutiny and the cooling wind that chose to pass through that moment. Shaggy, seeing this, stepped aside to let him in.

"I brought you something." Freddy scratched the back of his head awkwardly and held up the apple pie as a peace offering. "And I couldn't just leave you here by yourself. Well not by yourself… cause Scooby's here… not that Scooby doesn't count… or anything, I…" He fumbled, quickly losing his grasp on basic English as he stood in Shaggy's house, almost alone, on Thanksgiving night.

Shaggy smiled and took the apple pie from Fred and rather than eating it, set on the closest table and wrapped his arms around Freddy.

Fred nearly flinched at the unexpected gesture. Not many people hugged him, just his mother really. He'd never gotten many hugs from his father, because in his own words, men shook hands, period. It was nicer than the hugs he'd gotten from his mother, or maybe just as good but in a different level, in a different context.

The scent of his mother's soft expensive perfume could not compare with the comforting baking smells that rolled off of Shaggy. The scent of cinnamon and vanilla and cake spice seemed to blossom from him. And he preferred Shaggy's cotton sweater to his mother's soft cashmere. They had almost the same body structure, but his mother was a tall woman, and Shaggy meager height of five feet four inches, couldn't measure up.

Shaggy broke the hug first.

"Thanks." He whispered, and in a louder voice, asked. "Are you hungry?"

* * *

There you have it folks, even after a serious moment, SHaggy had to say something about food. Not that that's a bad thing. It's just him. If it weren't him, he wouldn't be my favorite. Tell me what you think of the writing style and Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving. I'll try to make the next update a little faster as my christmas gift to you. Lots of Love. ~NsDb


	6. Chapter 6

I'm going to ask you all not to kill me. And then I'm going to beg for you're forgiveness. I can hardly forgive myself. I didn't mean to! Before I knew it I had more and more HW and projects. It getting to the end of the year so teachers are going into panic mode. I'm so sorry! But here it is. And if you can find it in your hearts to forgive me, please enjoy.

~Contritely, NsDb

* * *

**All's Unfair in Love and War Chapter 6**

The Jones residence was filled with memories. Pictures, trophies, plaques, and awards of all kinds. Mr. and Mrs. Jones liked to keep these things around their home. Mrs. Jones for sentimental value and Mr. Jones, to remember the many achievements of his prestigious family. Fred, though he didn't mind the pictures or trophies that lined the winding hallways of his home, kept the stark white walls of his bedroom picture-free.

The pictures he'd taken holding awards and trophies for many different occasions, upholding the family's reputation, meant much more to his father than they did to him. And so the walls of his room remained blank for many years.

Currently, however, Freddy Jones stared at his bedroom walls and the happy grinning faces of both he and Shaggy stared back at him.

He remembered the context for each and every one of those pictures. He remembered the pictures they'd taken at Christmas time together, all of which were horribly lopsided since Scooby had taken the camera. And he remembered taking the picture of Shaggy's sleeping face at one in the morning. He remembered exchanging gifts with Shaggy and Scooby.

The other wall above his bed held pictures of Fred and Shaggy with New Years fireworks exploding in the background. Freddy sighed. It was almost Valentine's Day and his parents had taken a romantic trip to Paris. Without him.

To be fair though, Fred hadn't wanted to go. Whatever. They'd left him in the care and company of the various servants employed to the manor, all of which had left for the night. His parents were supposed to be gone for a week, but he wouldn't put it past them to stay even longer.

At school the next day, the walls were strewn with red and pink hearts, the students were clearly in the Valentine's mood. Clubs sold candy-grams: love notes with candy attached to it, and delivered them to the indicated valentine on the fourteenth.

Which was today actually, now that he thought about it. Normally, he had Daphne hanging onto him and dozens of other girls hovering about. But this Valentine's Day, not one girl had dared to look in his direction. They whispered as he walked by.

_He's so dreamy._

_Don't even think about it, he's taken._

_Daphne?_

_Nah, he doesn't bat for our team. Ya know what I mean?_

_You mean he's…?_

_Uh, huh._

_Damn, all the good ones…_

The voices faded as they blurred into the mass of loud speech that surrounded the area of school known as the Coolsville commons. Shuffling quickly through the large mass of students exchanging gifts and kisses before class started, he found what he was looking for.

The Key Club's sad tiny booth sat in the corner decorated hearts and other Valentine's Day scribbles. He approached it confidently, saying nothing as he filled out a card and paid for his purchase, then walked off blushing.

Later that day…

Velma Dinkley loved to join clubs. Already she was a member and active participant of the Science Club, AV Club, Debate Club, Chess Club, Student Newspaper, and Key Club. Which would explain what she was doing here. Carrying a humongous teddy bear through the hallways of Coolsville High. It wasn't very often someone made a purchase of this magnitude on Valentine's Day. No one else had wanted to lug the furry thing through the halls, so she happily volunteered.

Velma paused to adjust her grip on the bear and read the room number written on the card over her glasses. The bear was to be sent to one Norville "Shaggy" Rogers in room 116.

Right.

As she arrived at the appointed room, it was made very clear to Velma the ultimate obstacle was the door. The door. How was she going to get this thing through the freaking door? It was almost as tall as she was, granted she was kind of short.

Shifting the bear to one arm, she opened the classroom door with her open hand. Coming through first, she dragged the bear in afterwards, folding its limbs to fit the too small door.

_Sorry bear._

Handing the note to the teacher with her glasses skewed and her hair mussed, Velma left and hoped whoever Norville "Shaggy" Rogers was, he would enjoy his gift.

Or at least he better.

"Duuude. Check out this bear someone got me."

"Wow!"

"You can say that again."

"Wow!"

Shaggy chuckled at Fred's joke and shifted his grip on the bear. It was a cute thing and large enough to be its own person. Dark, glassy eyes were partially covered by the soft yellow fur that covered its plush leading to the large sewn heart resting on its tummy.

Like a Carebear.

It wouldn't fit in his locker so Shaggy had to carry the bear to every class. But not once had the bear touched the barely swept floors of Coolsville High, nor had Shaggy let it out of his sight. It was such a cute gift and he didn't want it to get dirty. Shaggy hadn't given any true thought as to who had sent it to him. He had really only one close friend at Coolsville High, and that was Fred Jones.

So it was from him right? But there was no name on the note, nor any distinguishing statements. Nothing but 'Happy Valentine's Day'.

Whatever.

Back on topic, though. He hadn't named it yet.

"How aboooout… Fred?"

"Nooo, that's a terrible name."

"You're hurting my feelings." Fred sniffled.

"You'll live. Umm… Mr. Fluffy Paws?"

"Beary."

"Ramone."

"You're really bad at this aren't you?

And so they continued, all the way to Freddy's house.

"Wanna stay over? Mom and Dad are gone for the week?"

"Yeah sure." Shaggy stepped inside at Fred's offer, thankful that oak doors of the manor were more than large enough to accommodate the bear (who still lacked a proper name)'s girth.

"So, uh… want something to eat?" _Stupid question._

"Yeah, I am. But actually, maybe we can start on those cooking lessons I offered you."

"Sure."

'Sure', as it was, seemed to be the prelude to disaster. The only Jones child wasn't kidding when he said he didn't know how to cook. Freddy had to be monitored constantly to ensure everything was measured correctly, and no eggshells went into the bowl. By the end of it, Freddy was covered in egg and flour while Shaggy himself had stayed miraculously clean.

_Well, that's not fair._ Freddy thought as he poured a large amount of flour in Shaggy's hair.

Game on.

They were both showered and dressed in time for the cake to be taken out of the oven. Fred was amazed at how good it turned out. He fished around in the cabinet for plates as Shaggy cut the cake.

Fred took a medium slice, while Shaggy had, of course, a larger piece. But there was a third plate with a small slice of cake set out as well. For who? Freddy thought confused, and then smiled as Shaggy set Mr. uh… Bear in one of the chairs.

After the cakes had been eaten, and yes even the third piece, there was a mess to clean. Freddy was never too keen on cleaning, and neither was Shaggy, if the grimace he wore was anything to go by.

"Let's get started." Fred said as he grabbed a broom and handed it to a groaning Shaggy, taking up a sponge himself. They talked happily all the way through, trying to make an unpleasant chore a bit more entertaining.

"Hey, Shaggy?"

"Yeah Fred." Shaggy replied, barely looking up from his work.

"The bear…"

Silence.

"It was from me. I uh… I… like you."

"I kinda figured. Thanks. I really like him."

Fred dropped the dish he was cleaning and turned to face Shaggy, who didn't seem to be all there at the moment. "I don't think you understand, Shaggy. I mean I _like_ you."

Shaggy lifted his head and stared at Fred with the most adorably confused look etched across his face. "Yeah. I just said, I like you, too." Fred was growing frustrated. This was embarrassing enough to admit, but Shaggy really didn't seem to be getting it.

"Gahh! No. I mean … what I'm trying to say…"

At that point, Freddy was too exhausted with words. They didn't get through to Shaggy the way he had hoped.

So he kissed him.

Forceful in his desperation, to make him understand, to make him like him back, Freddy kissed Shaggy, eyes closed tightly. Shaggy's eyes widened with shock, the broom clattered to the floor, forgotten before he leaned into the kiss, closing his eyes softly and letting it happen.

Enjoying it.

BRRRRRRRNNNNNGGGGG!

They broke apart hastily, jumping at the sudden sound, and panting. The phone continued to blare until Freddy picked up a little harsher than necessary, couldn't whoever it was see it was a bad time.

"Jones residence."

"Freddy!"

"How are you, darling?" Simultaneously the cheery voices answered.

"Mom, Dad?"

* * *

It is embarrassing, how long it took me to update. Happy really super late Holidays and Valentine's Day everyone. But hey good news: I'm the new co-editor for my school newspaper. Who's bad? RandR! ~NsDb


	7. Chapter 7

Finally, the long awaited 7 chapter. Sorry about the wait. If anyone had read my other story "Chaos After Dark" then you know I promised that while I had free time this winter break, I would update all of my chapter stories, probably more than once. When I checked the last update date on this story, I knew it was time to get going again. It's 'bout to get romantic cliche up in here! Please enjoy, ~**NsDb**

* * *

Previously_ on Supernatural ughh...Scooby Doo_

**All's Unfair in Love and War Chapter 7**

Forceful in his desperation to make him understand to make him undrstand, to make him like him back, Freddy kissed Shaggy, eyes closed tightly. Shaggy;s eyes widened with shock, the broom clattered to the floor, forgotten begore he leaned into the kiss, closing his eyes softly and letting it happen. Enjoying it.

_BRRRRRRIIINNNNNNGGGGG!_

They broke apart hastily, jumping at the sudden sound, and panting, hearts beating wildly in their chests. The phone continued to blare until Freddy decided that, yeah, he should probably get that, and picked it up.

"Jones residence."

"Fred!"

"How are you, darling?" the cheery voices on the other end of the line replied.

"Mom, Dad?"

"Yes. Who else would it be? Expecting a call from a _giiirrlll_?" Fred's cheeks colored slightly at his mother's teasing attitude.

"Not particularly."

"Is it that Daphne?"

"No," Fred answered quickly, kind of put off by the thought, and tried to distract his mother from her line of questioning. "How's your trip going?"

"Just wonderful! Brazil is so beautiful and warm and it's easy to forget that we're here on business," she began, mystified. "If it weren't for _somebody_ reminding me at every turn that we aren't allowed to have _any_ fun here at all, I might as well have."

It was pretty clear she wasn't just talking to Fred anymore. "Oh, Teresa, please. If we had more time, I would be glad to spend all of it with you, seeing the sights and taking in the view." Freddy's dad retorted from the background.

His mother sighed. "I know, I'm sorry Richard, you do your best. I just wish we had the time to enjoy this."

"I promise this won't be our last time here, sweetheart. We'll come back. Maybe even for a second honeymoon?" he said suggestively. "And then we won't have to leave our hotel room to see any of the sights. I'll have the most beautiful sight right here next to me."

There was a loud, wet smacking sound and then, "Oh, _Richard._"

Oh, gross. Did they even remember that he was there? They were probably kissing, not even realizing that the phone was still off the hook and that their very grossed out son was on the line.

"Ok, bye, you guys," Fred mumbled a hasty goodbye that no doubt went unnoticed by his parents and hung up. He sighed and turned, ready to address Shaggy and the awkward moment that his parents had created, only to find the room empty.

Shaggy was gone and the broom he had been using left upon the floor. Freddy suddenly found himself unable to support his own weight and sank down into one of the dining room chairs. He folded his arms on the table and let his head drop into the space they created. Sighing, he realized, that Mr. Bear was gone as well, presumably taken by Shaggy, and that in itself was some kind of hope.

**~BOKUGAKIRADA!~**

It had been a whole two days since he had talked to Shaggy. He hadn't sat next to him in class, he hadn't met with him for lunch, or even visited him at home. He had barely seen Shaggy at all and every period Fred had to endure without him exacerbated his gloomy attitude ten-fold.

Really it was his fault. He had been steadfastly avoiding him like a coward. He wanted to say something, anything at all, an apology, a lie, just _something_ that wasn't the awkward silence that he seemed determined to keep between them.

But Shaggy had left that day, and if that wasn't a rejection than Fred didn't know what was. In other happenings, Red Herring hadn't bothered him in a while, swapping out his usual brand of taunts and teases for silence. It was weird, but not all together unwelcome.

Daphne seemed more exuberant than usual. Freddy was finally spending more time with her. He agreed to her every wish. From shopping to dates, Daphne made sure they got as much public exposure as possible, dispelling any rumors or doubts there were concerning Fred's feelings towards her.

This was perfect. Fred was back to his normal self and all hers, hippy-kid was out of the picture, and she hadn't had to lift a finger at all. How silly she was to have thought that hippy-kid was a threat to her popularity; she should have known whatever their strange friendship was would burn out on its own.

They'd spent the last few days arm in arm as much as they possibly could. Fred had seemed pretty down but, eh, Daphne just chalked it to one of the many eccentricities of the male species.

It was one unusually warm day in February. The sun had made a surprise guest appearance in the sky, warming the breezy town of Coolsville. The bell rang for lunch and Fred made his slow shuffle to the cafeteria with the ever present Daphne on his arm.

They sat at their usual table, with their usual circle of friend, partaking in their usual conversations. They were talking about one thing or another, Fred couldn't even bring himself to care what the conversation was about. His eyes strayed from his half eaten lunch to the adjacent window.

It was such a nice day, he should be eating outside with the sun and trees, not holed up indoors with the fluorescent lighting and white walls. And Daphne.

Almost suddenly his eyes seemed to concentrate on a brown figure lying beyond the edge of the window. It was a tree, he realized quite suddenly, his and Shaggy's. He felt almost guilty fr even daring to look at it. That wasn't for him and anymore, he had ruined what he'd had with Shaggy.

He dropped his gaze to the table once more, resigning himself to wallow in the mess he had created. Daphne commented on something someone had said and looked to Fred for conformation. Freddy nodded dully, not even sure what he was agreeing with.

Goosebumps trailed up his arms and that overwhelming 'You're being watched' sensation came over him. He snapped back to the window, back to the tree and found Shaggy sitting under it, and watching him.

Their eyes connected for a brief moment. Fred never knew Shaggy could ever look as sad and deflated as he did in that moment. Shaggy was the first to break contact, he hung his head with his disheveled brown hair falling over his face and tried to look anywhere but at Fred.

This had to stop.

He stood abruptly, startling the people sitting around him, and headed for the exit. He was going to fix this.

"Freddy!?" Fred stopped in his tracks, Daphne sounded no where near as pleasant as she had been the last few days. "_Where_ are you going?" despite her attempt to sound concerned for his well being, the undertone of fury was apparent to all.

The cafeteria quieted as everyone stared with rapt attention at the tension mounting in front of them.

Fred looked around him and couldn't find it in himself to be embarrassed about the scene they were causing. He didn't care, he didn't even know who these people were. The only person whose opinion mattered above all else, was sitting right outside.

He muttered just loud enough for Daphne to hear, "To go see my boyfriend." and walked out.

"What!?" Daphne roared, momentarily forgetting that she was in public. Her face twisted into a disgusted expression as Fred turned his back on her and left to go see that hippy-kid. _How __**dare**__ he! __**No one**__ makes Daphne Blake look like a fool._

She jumped up from her seat and followed him out. Behind her, the cafeteria revived itself as their confrontation sparked rumor and speculation.

**~BOKUGAKIRADA!~**

Freddy burst through the exit doors, running as fast as he could and slowed upon reaching the tree where Shaggy sat. He looked up in surprise at Fred's presence and Freddy suddenly felt his mouth go dry. He had been all bluster when he had shot out of the cafeteria but now when facing Shaggy, he couldn't find the words he wanted to say.

How great would it be to be one of those cool TV heroes, who could burst in, stop the bad guys, and explain his feelings in one short speech, _without_ looking like a stuttering idiot.

He sat down next to Shaggy. He felt the bark dig into his back, almost painfully, and let it ground him.

"Shaggy...I..." he started, and then gave up. "I don't know what to say. I'm sorry."

"I know. You don't have to say anything." Fred almost smiled. There he was again, after everything Fred had put them through, Shaggy was forgiving him and even gave him a way out. As appreciative as he was for that, he knew he couldn't take it. They needed to talk this through. It was too important.

He took a deep breath. "I like you a lot. No don't; just let me say what I need to." He cut the other boy off from whatever comforting, placating thing he had been about to say.

"Right now, you are everything that's right with my life. People look at me and they think I've got everything. Money, good grades, a cute girlfriend; for god's sake she's not even my girlfriend! Those things meant nothing to me, they still mean nothing to me."

Despite his shaky approach, Fred grew more confident and every word grew stronger with the force of his conviction behind it. "I was alone and hollow and unhappy and then you stepped into the picture. You had everything that I had too, minus the crazy girlfriend, but you were _happy_. And I wanted that; I wanted you."

"I'm sorry I kissed you like that. And I'm sorry I was such a coward about it later," he threw his hands up. "I don't even know if you hate me right now. I mean, you left, right? That must mean you were upset."

By now it had become apparent to Shaggy that Fred was more thinking aloud than he was actually talking to Shaggy, but he kept his mouth shut and let Fred continue anyway. "I know I probably screwed everything up with what I did, what I'm still doing. But at the very least I want to keep on being your friend," he suddenly turned sheepish, "I mean, that is, if you want to?"

He ended his speech and looked at Shaggy for the first time since it began, gauging his reaction and searching for answers.

And got a kiss instead.

The soft press of warm lips against his own wasn't at all the reaction he had been expecting or even hoping for. The worst case being Shaggy hating him forever, and the best being his continuing friendship. But he'd take it, whatever it was.

Before he had time to recover from his shock and push back against him, Shaggy pulled away, breathless and smiling.

"Like, why didn't you just say so in the first place?" Fred smiled widely; somethings never changed. "I tried to," he said, still wondering if this was a dream. "But you...just didn't seem to get it."

They laughed for a long while until the bell rang and signaled the end of the lunch period. Shaggy sat up first.

"Wait. Are we...are we ok?" Shaggy looked at Fred incredulously.

"Like, really dude? And you say I'm dense," he facepalmed. "Do I have to, like, kiss you again or something?"

"Well..." Fred pushed himself to his feet and grinned, already getting his answer.

Shaggy chuckled. "We're fine," he said and leaned up to give Fred a kiss. "Better than fine actually."

They walked to gym, shoulder to shoulder, smiling and laughing all the way there.

Daphne stepped out from behind the large oak tree, fuming, and dug her nails into the bark. At this point she didn't even care that she might chip a nail or mess up her polish. She wouldn't allow hippy-kid to jeopardize her high school happiness just because Fred had lost his damn mind.

_This meant war_.

* * *

Le Gasp! I could have ended here. But I want to take the story just a little bit further. So I think I'll be changing the summary on this. I realize now, 3 yrs later, that maybe I should warn people about the Daphne hate. Let it be known that I don't hate Daphne at all. She's just a character that has an easy motive to play the villain role. So there you have it, I hope it was worth the wait. Leave a review if you would like. Love you guys, thanks for sticking with me.

~**NsDb~**


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